After a quiet first half of 2005 (mostly participating in mid-card tag matches), Makabe was set to make a difference at the G-1 Climax in the summer. Unfortunately, he was injured during the tournament and would miss the rest of 2005.

Makabe made his return in early 2006, showing even more fire then when he left. In the New Japan Cup, he defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in less then two minutes in the first round, but lost to Yuji Nagata in the second round of the tournament. At the 2006 G1 Climax, Makabe came in 4th place in his bracket. Makabe suddenly caught on fire, however, when on September 24th he would defeat Kanemura for the WEW Heavyweight Championship. Makabe suddenly became a death match king, wrestling in barbed wire matches and using a chain as his primary weapon. His success in Apache Army carried over to New Japan where he became respected as more then just a mid-card heel. In December Makabe joined Tenzan's GBH heel faction and as the year ended he was still the WEW Heavyweight Champion.

Makabe continued his surge in 2007 as he began a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura to start off the year. After splitting their first two meetings, Makabe would win the rubber match on May 3rd. In the New Japan Cup, Makabe defeated Tomko, Iizuka, and Tenzan before falling to Nagata in the finals. Makabe was also in the G1 Climax, and he won his block after defeating Giant Bernard, Nagata, and Masahiro Chono. He would lose in the semi-finals to Tanahashi, however, making Tanahashi the only main eventer he failed to defeat in 2007. Makabe also continued wrestling in Apache Pro, but he was defeated on June 24th by Kanemura for the WEW Heavyweight Championship. In the G1 Tag League, Makabe teamed with GBH teammate Yano and they would reach the semi-finals before falling to Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko. On December 9th he would lose to Nakamura in a Number One Contenders match, failing once again to get a shot at the elusive IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

2008 started poorly for Makabe, as he and Yano lost to Brother Ray and Brother Devon at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th. They quickly turned things around however, as on February 17th they defeated Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. They would have four successful defenses for the rest of the year, defeating Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Takashi Iizuka, Giant Bernard & Rick Fuller, Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto, and Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie. In the New Japan Cup, Makabe defeated Iizuka and Tenzan before falling to Tanahashi. He also took part in the G1 Climax, and reached the finals before losing to Goto. As part of the Zero-1 MAX vs. New Japan feud, Makabe took part in the Fire Festival but lost to Masato Tanaka in the finals. Makabe would team with Yano in the G1 Tag League, and they would reach the finals before losing to Tenzan and Kojima. So in 2008, Makabe reached the finals of three major tournaments but failed to win one of them. At the end of the year Makabe was still the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion was the leader of GBH, the largest faction in New Japan.

Makabe's year started rough but by the end he seemed to be on higher footing then when the year began.
On February 15th, Makabe teamed with Yano to take on Team 3D for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, but GBH would come up short. In the New Japan Cup, Makabe lost in the first round to Shinsuke Nakamura. In the spring, Yano turned on Makabe and other members of GBH left as well, leaving just Makabe and Honma to battle the new faction called CHAOS. On April 5th, Makabe got Nakamura in a singles match but Nakamura came out victorious. In June he battled Yano, but again Makabe was defeated. Makabe got his revenge when the G1 Climax came, as he defeated Nakamura in the finals to win his first major tournament. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi was injured in the tournament, leading to Makabe taking on Nakamura in a Decision Match to crown the new champion. Makabe lost the match however and also his chance to get the ultimate revenge on CHAOS. On November 8th, he faced and defeated Iizuka in a Chain Death Match. In the G1 Tag League, Makabe teamed with Honma and the pair got 4 points, barely missing the Semi Finals.